A S$25mil (RM65.6mil) church hub where worshippers from three Christian denominations – Luthe­rans, Presbyterians and Methodists – will be under one roof, is under way in a pilot project aimed at easing the space crunch faced by churches here.

The new five-storey building at 2 Tah Ching Road, which will sit on land currently leased by the Lutheran Church's Jurong Christian Church, will be partly rented out to the Providence Presbyterian Church and Jurong Tamil Methodist Church for 30 years.

There are about 50 years left on the land lease.

Work on the approximately 60,000 sq ft hub is expected to start early next year and be completed by end-2016.

The project, spearheaded by Bishop Terry Kee of the Lutheran Church in Singapore, was given the green light by the Urban Redeve­lopment Authority and other government agencies last month.

The National Council of Churches of Singapore, of which Bishop Kee is president, has been meeting with the authorities over the past three years to explore solutions to address the issue of lack of space for religious use.

"We've been sharing with the authorities on the church hub concept. There's also a possibility that the authorities may look at having multiple churches housed in the same building elsewhere, run by either a lead church or a private developer, in the future," said Bishop Kee.

He said there are plans to eventually house five churches in the Jurong hub.

To cater to worshippers from these churches, the hub will have at least five chapels of varying sizes.

Bishop Kee believes sharing facilities is one of several possible ways to address the challenges of land scarcity and soaring property prices and rentals that have driven some churches to seek locations in hotel function rooms, cinemas and even remote industrial estates.

Plans for the hub come amid the growth of the Christian community here.

In tandem with Singapore's population growth, the number of Christian worshippers has almost doubled from about 588,000 in 2000 to around 930,000 in 2010.

There are more than 500 Protestant churches and 29 Catholic parishes today.

While there are some churches that have shared facilities for years, such as the Yishun Christian Church, which is co-owned by the Lutheran Church and Anglican Church, the concept of a landlord managing a church building and renting it out to different churches is a new one.

In the case of the Jurong hub, the Lutheran Church's long-term tenants will pay the 30-year rental upfront, which will help finance the building's construction and the design of exclusive spaces, among other things.

A spokesman for the Urban Redevelopment Authority said it is "open to such proposals" like the Jurong hub, as co-location optimises land.

"Nonetheless, careful assessment of the local context is needed to ensure that disamenities such as traffic and parking problems are mitigated," she said, adding that the proposal is the first of its kind.

The Lutheran Church said it has submitted proposals on how it plans to manage vehicular and human traffic. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

BANGKOK: Thai opposition protesters refused to end their rallies in Bangkok despite a vow by police to clear more demonstration sites, following an operation to reclaim the besieged government headquarters.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government is attempting to seize back key state buildings after more than three months of mass protests seeking to curb the political domination of her billionaire family.

On Friday, police with shields and riot helmets, some carrying rifles, met little resistance as they cleared areas around Government House, which Yingluck had been unable to use for about two months.

But there were no arrests or serious clashes, and demonstrators were later seen rebuilding their makeshift barricades.

The security operation is focused on government offices rather than major intersections in the commercial centre that have become the main focus of the rallies in recent weeks as part of what protesters have described as the "Bangkok shutdown".

So far the authorities have not announced any plan to clear those intersections, where several thousand protesters gather each evening to hear free concerts and speeches.

"We will continue fighting. We will not be shaken by the police operation," a spokesman for the anti-government movement, Akanat Promphan, said yesterday.

"No matter whether police succeed in reclaiming the rally sites or not, we will keep on protesting," he added.

Yesterday, about 1,200 police were mobilised to try to reclaim a government complex in Chaeng Wattana in the north of the capital on Saturday, National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut said.

But they later appeared to have retreated, after the two sides agreed to hold talks about re-opening the complex, which has been occupied by demonstrators led by a saffron-robed monk who has emerged as a key figure in the anti-government movement.

An aide to the monk-turned-protest leader Luang Pu Buddha Issara – who faces an arrest warrant for his role in the rallies – said the protesters "will not give up", but later confirmed that negotiations would take place today.

The government has so far appeared reluctant to use force against the protesters, despite declaring a state of emergency last month that gives authorities the power to ban public gatherings of more than five people. — AFP

JAKARTA: Three airports in Indonesia reopened while four others remained closed, officials said, after a volcanic eruption killed three people and forced mass evacuations.

Mount Kelud, considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the main island of Java, spewed red-hot ash and rocks high into the air late on Thursday night just hours after its alert status was raised.

"The airport in Malang city in East Java province, and Cilacap and Semarang cities in Central Java province have reopened. There's no problem flying there now. We are now evaluating the status of other airports," Transport Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said.

Seven airports – including those serving international flights in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo and Ban­dung – were forced to close on Friday due to thick ash that blanketed eastern Javanese cities.

Ervan said the airports in Bandung and Surabaya are expected to reopen later, while the airport in Solo may reopen tomorrow and the one in Yogyakarta on Feb 18.

On Friday, villagers in eastern Java described the terror of volcanic materials raining down on their homes, while correspondents at the scene saw residents covered in grey dust fleeing in cars and on motorbikes towards evacuation centres.

Transport Ministry director general of aviation Herry Bakti said the authorities "will continue to monitor the movement of ash in the air via satellite".

"We were informed by the volcanology agency this morning that no more powerful eruptions are expected. So it is safe to fly and flights can resume. We will issue an update via notice to airmen," he said yesterday.

Three people were killed and around 200,000 people were ordered to evacuate following the eruption, though some families ignored the orders and others have returned home, with just over 75,000 now in temporary shelters, officials said.

The 1,731m Mount Kelud has claimed more than 15,000 lives since 1500, including around 10,000 deaths in a massive eruption in 1568.

It is one of 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

Earlier this month another volcano, Mount Sinabung on western Sumatra island, unleashed an enormous eruption that left at least 16 dead and has been erupting almost daily since September. — AFP

SEOUL (Reuters) - After a year of investigation, the United Nations is set to release a detailed report on human rights violations in North Korea, but defectors from the country and experts are deeply sceptical it will have any effect on the regime in Pyongyang.

The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on human rights in North Korea was set up last March to begin building a case for possible criminal prosecution.

Michael Kirby, a former chief justice of Australia who chairs the independent inquiry, said after preliminary findings last year that inmates in North Korea's prison camps suffered "unspeakable atrocities", comparable with Nazi abuses uncovered after World War 2.

But any attempt to follow up after the final report is issued on Monday will most likely be blocked by China. North Korea itself labels any attack on its human rights record as a U.S.-led conspiracy.

China, the North's major ally and main benefactor, stands ready to veto any attempt to mobilise the Security Council to open an investigation against Pyongyang, a non-signatory to the International Criminal Court.

"In some respects I have been disappointed with the United Nations, although the U.N. is trying to resolve the issue" said Shin Dong-hyuk, a North Korean defector who has given the U.N. panel harrowing accounts of his life and escape from a prison camp. As a 13-year-old, he informed a prison guard of a plot by his mother and brother to escape and both were executed, according to a book on his life called "Escape from Camp 14".

"The Human Rights Council, the biggest organisation in the U.N., has not solved any problems," Shin said in an interview in Seoul ahead of the report's release.

In March 2013, the Council established the Commission of Inquiry to investigate violations of human rights in North Korea and to seek out those accountable, "in particular where the violations may amount to crimes against humanity."

More than 200,000 people are believed to be held in North Korean prison camps, according to independent estimates.

The U.N. panel has worked to bring new attention to the allegations of horror at North Korea's gulags with evidence and testimony from exiles, including camp survivors, in Seoul, Tokyo, London and Washington but has failed to gain access to North Korea.

Shin said China continues to use North Korea as a tool to keep U.S. influence in the region under control.

"So far China has neglected North Korea's human rights issue and supported its dictatorship," said Shin, who is scheduled to address the U.N. Human Rights Council in March when the panel's findings are formally presented.

WON'T BAT AN EYELID

After more than two years in power, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shows no signs of changing the iron-fisted rule of his predecessors, forging ahead with a reign of terror and ordering the execution of his powerful uncle following a brutal public purge.

"North Korea won't bat an eyelid," said Hwang Jae-ok, vice president of the Institute for Peace and Cooperation in Seoul, who has extensively studied Pyongyang's human rights record. "It has built up a strong tolerance to sanctions and pressure."

The North has been under gradually tougher international and U.S. sanctions since its first nuclear test in 2006.

The sanctions have not stopped Kim, believed to be in his early 30s, from stepping up the nuclear and missile programmes launched by his father and accomplishing what experts have said were notable successes that have turned the clock back on years of disarmament efforts led by Washington.

Human rights activists hope the panel's report work and the global attention it generates will seep back across North Korea.

But Baek Kyung-yoon, a North Korean female army captain who fled to the South in 2000, said her former compatriots are unlikely to have the luxury of pondering about human rights or anticipating improvement.

"Loyalty (to the regime) is everything and it's nonsense to discuss human rights there," Baek said on Wednesday, ahead of the premiere of "The Apostle: He Was Anointed By God". The Korean-language film is based on her experience of ordering the torture of a man who possessed a few pages from the Bible.

A U.S. Christian missionary, Kenneth Bae, was sentenced last year to 15 years of hard labour after being convicted of state subversion. Pyongyang has abruptly rescinded a visit by U.S. special envoy to seek Bae's release for a second time.

Religious persecution is one of 11 areas of inquiry by the U.N. panel, which also include food deprivation, torture, executions and abductions.

Despite his frustration with the lack of visible progress, Shin, who had a finger chopped off with a butcher knife by prison guards as a punishment, still hopes the United Nations can bring change in North Korea.

"Personally the COI (Commission of Inquiry) is my last remaining hope. Even if there is little chance for change, I am betting everything I have."

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan police fired teargas and turned water cannons on stone-throwing protesters on Saturday to stop them blocking a Caracas highway in a fourth day of sporadic unrest against President Nicolas Maduro's government.

The latest trouble flared as night fell, after thousands of Maduro supporters had earlier flooded the centre of the capital to call for peace and make a show of political strength after this week's deadly violence during street protests.

Three people were shot dead on Wednesday in the worst violence since Maduro's disputed election last year.

The 51-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez has faced two weeks of mainly small protests led by students and hardline opposition leaders complaining about Venezuela's rampant crime, shortages of basic products, and alleged repression of political rivals.

"We'll be here day-after-day, night-after-night, until something changes," vowed Javier Sanchez, 20, picking up stones to hurl at police while other students shouted at him "Stop! No violence!" in the upscale Altamira district of Caracas.

After about 2,000 students had gathered peacefully in Altamira Square, debating strategy and chanting slogans in the afternoon sun, a few hundred set off to try and block a major highway. Police halted them before they could get there.

In a repeat of daily confrontations this week, the students threw objects and taunted the police, who responded with volleys of teargas and a water cannon truck, or "whale" as Venezuelans call it.

"People are asleep. It's time for action," said student Michael Paredes, 26, carrying vinegar and putting on a bandana to protect against teargas.

Staking his presidency on maintaining his mentor's socialist legacy, Maduro accuses his rivals of trying to create conditions for a coup like the one 12 years ago that briefly ousted Chavez.

"I'M NOT GIVING UP"

There are, however, no indications the current turmoil could lead to his ouster. The military, whose role swung both Chavez's 36-hour toppling and return, appears solidly behind Maduro.

Addressing his supporters in Caracas from a pastel-colored stage displaying the slogan "People of Peace," Maduro mocked the demands of protesters who want him to step down.

"You want to see people in the streets? We'll give you people in the streets," he said to cheers from thousands of supporters.

"I'm not going to give up one millimetre of the power the Venezuelan people have given me ... nothing will stop me from building this revolution which commandant Chavez left us!"

Maduro said in his speech he had ordered the temporary closure of Metro station and the suspension of bus services in the east of the city, where the protests are centered.

Student leaders are vowing to stay out until Maduro falls, raising the prospect of a protracted crisis. But most rallies are attracting just a few hundred people, and the opposition's political leaders are divided as to whether or not street demonstrations are the way forward.

The protests could, in fact, play into Maduro's hands by helping him unite factions in the ruling Socialist Party and distract people from economic problems like shortages of goods.

He says Venezuela faces an "economic war" waged by the opposition, backed by U.S. financiers and made worse by speculators. Supporters say he is a victim of Western "imperial" propaganda and saboteurs seeking to discredit Chavez's legacy.

"We have to celebrate the revolution, which is love and peace," said Kaina Lovera, 16, wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the late Chavez's face.

"FACE OF FASCISM"

Maduro's critics say he is wrecking the economy by sticking with failed Chavez-era policies such as currency and price controls, which many local economists blame for the shortages.

Among those critics is hardline opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, whom the government calls the "face of fascism" and the intellectual author of the violence.

The 42-year-old U.S.-educated economist says peaceful marches organized by his Popular Will party have been infiltrated by provocateurs and attacked by militant pro-government gangs known locally as "colectivos."

Lopez remains in his home in the Chacao district of eastern Caracas where he was once mayor, colleagues said, despite a judge's arrest warrant. It was not clear why police had not acted on that, though such a move could fuel further protests.

Maduro demanded on Saturday that Lopez surrender himself.

"The opposition organize these violent groups, and then they hide and cry," the president said. "You fugitive from justice, trembling with fear, you fascist coward! Hand yourself in!"

Of 99 people arrested nationwide since Wednesday, most have been released pending trial with 13 still behind bars, Venezuelan judicial authorities say.

While Latin American leftist allies have sent messages of solidarity to Maduro and condemned the "coup" intentions against him, Western nations have called for calm and dialogue.

The United States, whose government has constantly crossed swords with Venezuela's socialist administration since Chavez came to power in 1999, expressed concern over the detentions and arrest warrant for Lopez.

"These actions have a chilling effect on citizens' rights to express their grievances peacefully," Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.

"We call on the Venezuelan government to provide the political space necessary for meaningful dialogue with the Venezuelan people and to release detained protesters. We urge all parties to work to restore calm and refrain from violence."

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's classical music superstar Gustavo Dudamel is facing vitriolic criticism from some supporters of the country's political opposition who accuse him of keeping silent during unrest this week that killed three people.

Dudamel, 33, is director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. He is visiting his home country to conduct concerts marking the 39th anniversary of its renowned "El Sistema" music program, which gives classical music training to children from poor neighbourhoods.

His visit has coincided with opposition street protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

On Saturday, Dudamel conducted a free "concert for peace" including Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, at the ornate Foreign Ministry building in downtown Caracas.

The opposition accuses the security forces and pro-government militants of attacking peaceful demonstrators in the centre of the capital on Wednesday, while the Maduro's administration blames its rivals for the deaths.

Some in the opposition were outraged that the famous conductor did not use his public position to condemn Maduro, interpreting that as support for the leftist government.

"I can't stay silent ... You were playing in a concert while people were massacred," wrote self-exiled Venezuelan classical pianist Gabriela Montero in an open letter to the conductor.

"We've passed the point of no return. Music, ambition and fame count for nothing alongside human suffering," he wrote.

Some hardline opposition supporters used social media to circulate a computer-generated image of Dudamel with his baton raised and blood pouring from his hands, against a backdrop of student protesters being arrested by the police.

"ABSOLUTE NO TO VIOLENCE"

In a brief statement in response to his critics, the conductor said the country's Sistema program represented the value of peace, love and unity.

"It has become the emblem and flag of our country to the world ... we lament (Wednesday's) events," it read. "With our music and with our instruments in hand, we declare an absolute no to violence and a resounding yes to peace."

Dudamel's supporters also weighed into the debate.

Some suggested it was worth his playing the part of a loyal "Chavista," or supporter of the late Hugo Chavez, if that meant continued government funding for El Sistema.

But others said his politics were none of their business.

"Dudamel has no more of a duty to heed to our points of view than anyone else," wrote one pro-opposition blogger, Juan Cristobal Nagel, while conceding that his post on the topic was likely to anger some of his friends.

"Just like we wouldn't want Chavistas to force a political position down our throats, so too should Dudamel enjoy the privilege of freedom to support the cause he might think is better."

Dudamel is the most well-known alumnus of El Sistema, which since the mid-1970s has taught hundreds of thousands of youths, many from poor homes in dangerous slums, to play musical instruments and in orchestras.

Supporters say it gives them discipline, cuts school truancy rates and boosts self-esteem. It currently includes more than 300,000 youngsters playing for 180 orchestras and has inspired similar projects in countries around the world.

You are subscribed to email updates from WorldTo stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.

TOKYO: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is determined to cut Japan's corporate tax rate, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, a step experts say could boost the global competitiveness of Japanese companies and make the country more attractive to foreign investment.

Suga, who serves as the government's top spokesman and is one of Abe's most trusted aides, also said Japan's participation in talks on a U.S.-led free trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, was a vital part of Abe's growth strategy, the "Third Arrow" in his "Abenomics" policy that also includes hyper-easy monetary policy and fiscal spending.

"The prime minister has made a definite statement regarding a reduction in the corporate tax rate," Suga told Reuters in an interview. "We want to achieve this."

Finance ministry officials have expressed concern that cutting the corporate tax rate, considered high by global standards at about 35 percent for national and local taxes combined, would worsen the public debt, which is already the worst among advanced nations.

But Suga said: "Whatever the finance ministry says, the government policy will not change. We will consider what will happen to government finances if the corporate tax rate is lowered, but the prime minister has said all along that a reduction is necessary. We want to do that properly."

Abe took office in December 2012 pledging to revive the economy and end the deflation that has plagued it for a decade and a half.

Suga said that nearly 14 months later Japan was on track to escape deflation.

"Without a doubt, we have been able to create the atmosphere such that we can escape from the deflation that has continued for 15 years," he said.

"I think that we are a cabinet that will achieve the two extremely difficult (goals) of escaping deflation and rebuilding the government finances," he added.

He said the real test would come after the government raised the 5 percent sales tax to 8 percent in April.

"Without a doubt, the critical time awaits us after the sales tax rise," he said.

Another rise to 10 percent is scheduled from October 2015.

TRUST IN KURODA

Suga said it was up to the Bank of Japan to decide whether further monetary easing would be needed if the economy struggles after the April sales tax hike.

"With regard to monetary policy, Bank of Japan Governor (Haruhiko) Kuroda shares the Abe government's way of thinking so we want to trust him and leave it to Governor Kuroda."

The Bank of Japan launched an intense burst of monetary stimulus last April, when it pledged to accelerate inflation to 2 percent in about two years with aggressive asset purchases.

The central bank is likely to stand pat on monetary policy next week, but is hardly complacent. With a global recovery still fragile, Japanese companies are wary of boosting wages and capital spending enough to compensate for a slump in household spending expected after the April tax rise.

Investors have mostly applauded the first two "arrows" of Abe's economic prescription, but have been disappointed by the growth strategy, including a perceived lack of progress in key areas such as labour market reform.

Asked about such views, Suga noted that deregulation and other structural reforms generally needed legal changes, but said he wanted to show the direction on changes in key sectors of labour, medical care and agriculture by the end of June.

He added that Japan's participation in the TPP talks was a vital part of the growth strategy.

"From here on, I think that the 'arrow' with the longest flight time will be TPP," he said.

Japan and the United States are holding high-level talks in Washington this weekend in search of a two-way compromise ahead of a meeting of ministers from the 12 participating countries in Singapore later this month.

A key sticking point is Japan's desire to maintain tariffs on politically sensitive agricultural products such as rice. - Reuters

BEIJING: Chinese banks lent 1.32 trillion yuan ($217.6 billion) worth of new yuan loans in January, beating a forecast of 1.1 trillion yuan and well above the previous month's 482.5 billion yuan in a traditional lending surge at the start of the year.

Central bank data showed on Saturday that the broad M2 money supply rose 13.2 percent last month from a year earlier, the People's Bank of China said in a statement on its website, in line with a Reuters poll forecast of a 13.2 percent rise.

Outstanding yuan loans were up 14.3 percent from a year earlier versus forecasts for growth of 13.9 percent.

The central bank also said China's total social financing aggregate, a broad measure of liquidity in the economy, was 2.58 trillion yuan in January versus 1.23 trillion yuan the month before. - Reuters

He is best remembered as the education minister who suppressed Chinese education and triggered the Operasi Lalang in 1987.

Liow said Anwar was no stranger to the Chinese community, particularly those in Kajang where the Chinese educationist group, Dong Zong, was active.

He said Anwar – the Pakatan Rakyat designated-candidate for the upcoming Kajang by-election – had also started to make all sorts of promises to fish for votes.

Citing examples, Liow said Anwar had suddenly shown concern over Dong Zong's land issue – something Anwar had been evading all this while.

Caring gesture: Liow giving out roses and goodie bags to market-goers and traders to mark Valentine's Day and Chap Goh Meh at the Sungai Chua market in Kajang. With him is Dr Wee (centre).

"This is Anwar Ibrahim and the people should teach him a lesson for the damage he had caused and also for continuing to make empty promises in many instances," Liow said after visiting the Sungai Chua market here yesterday.

PETALING JAYA: The current surge of dengue cases is the result of a change in variation of the dengue virus, the Health Ministry said.

Deputy Health director-general Datuk S. Jeyaindran said there was usually an outbreak whenever there was a change in the dengue virus serotype as fewer people would be immune to the serotype after the change.

Moreover, the current serotype, DEN-2, was more virulent, he said, adding: "That is why we are seeing more deaths."

It was reported that 10,712 cases and 19 deaths were reported this year up to Feb 6 compared to 2,836 cases and eight deaths over the same period last year.

Based on previous reports, Malaysia experienced its worst dengue outbreak in 2008 with 49,335 cases, while the highest death toll was in 2010 with 134 fatalities from 45,901 reported dengue cases.

The numbers dropped the following year until last year when it began to increase again.

Dr Jeyaindran said that the DEN-2 serotype was discovered sometime mid-last year.

"Before that, it was the DEN-4 serotype," he said.

"The DEN-2 serotype cases appeared to have started in Singapore and then were found in Johor at the end of last year and subsequently reached Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Selangor," he said.

Each has different interactions with the antibodies in human blood serum.

The change in serotype is one reason a major dengue outbreak could occur as individuals are protected from infections with the remaining three serotypes for only two to three months after the first dengue infection.

When two or more dengue cases are detected in a village or a residential area, it is considered an outbreak.

PETALING JAYA: A 21-year-old college student was chased down by a man and stabbed in the back with a knife — all for joking and laughing too loudly with his friends at a fast food outlet.

The student had been queuing up with his friends to make his order at the outlet in Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak at around 6pm yesterday when the man scolded him for being too loud.

He then got into a quarrel with the man, which escalated into violence.

The man, who is believed to be aged between 30 and 35, waited outside the outlet for the student to finish his meal with his friends before chasing him down the street and then stabbing him in the back.

The student was rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital but was later discharged.

City acting CID chief Asst Comm Khairi Ahrasa said that although the police have yet to make an arrest, they have obtained CCTV footage from the outlet to help in their investigations.

"We are studying CCTV footage within the area to ascertain the man's identity.

"We hope that anyone with information will come forward," he said.

Those with information can contact the police hotline at 03-2115 9999 or go to the nearest police station.

NEW DELHI, Feb 15, 2014 (AFP) - Firebrand anti-corruption champion Arvind Kejriwal was clearing his desk Saturday after quitting as Delhi's chief minister in a move that leaves him clear to lead his party into battle in a looming general election.

Only 49 days after his upstart Aam Aadmi ("Common Man") Party took power in the capital, Kejriwal resigned on Friday night when the country's two main parties combined to thwart his efforts to bring in a new anti-corruption bill.

Kejriwal, whose stunning breakthrough in the Delhi state elections in December highlighted public anger towards the political establishment, launched a blistering assault on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his resignation speech.

Newspapers said his decision to quit so soon after taking power appeared part of a wider strategy which would free Kejriwal to lead his party's campaign in a general election due by May.

The anti-corruption bill was the main plank of Kejriwal's manifesto in the Delhi state election, the first campaign that his party had ever fought.

Although Aam Aadmi only won 28 of the 70 assembly seats, it was able to take power after Congress agreed to give it backing from outside.

However Congress refused to support the Jan Lokpal bill, which included plans to set up an anti-corruption commission, in a vote Friday on procedural grounds.

In his speech to supporters on Friday, the 45-year-old accused Congress of reneging on an earlier promise to back the bill.

'Broken promises'

"Congress had promised us, in writing, that they would support the bill but when we tried to present it before the assembly today both they and the BJP came together to block it," Kejriwal said.

"This is the first time in India's history that both the BJP and Congress have come together... They have exposed themselves and shown their true face."

In his typically fiery address, the former tax inspector also accused the two parties of taking orders from Mukesh Ambani, India's wealthiest man who heads the giant Reliance Industries conglomerate.

The BJP is expected to win the national polls, but it will need support from smaller parties to clinch victory.

Although Kejriwal only formed his party a year ago, its remarkable showing in the Delhi election shocked the country's political establishment.

Congress, which has been badly damaged by a series of corruption scandals at national level, saw its number of seats slashed from 43 to just eight.

Aam Aadmi has said it plans to contest the national elections although analysts say it is unlikely to win much support outside major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai due to its lack of infrastructure and funding.

Newspapers said that Kejriwal's resignation represented something of a gamble for his party, with many of the voters who backed him in December unhappy at his decision to walk so soon.

"As AAP moves to launch an audacious Lok Sabha (parliamentary) campaign, the political greenhorn who humbled both Congress and BJP will also have to answer questions about its commitment to governance and if it has the vision to be a long-term player," said The Times of India.

The Hindustan Times said that Kerjiwal's resignation was part of a plan that would allow him to spearhead the general election campaign.

"The decision to quit is part of AAP's bigger strategy," the paper said.

"It hopes to paint the Congress and BJP as the villains of the piece who did not let his government fulfill its promises, and is banking on the people to bring it back to power on its own."

During his administration's brief time in office, Kejriwal unveiled a series of headline-grabbing initiatives, including a graft hotline aimed at stemming the rampant corruption of police and bureaucrats.

After shunning the usual official car and instead taking the subway to his swearing-in ceremony, Kejriwal then slashed electricity costs and announced free water supplies.

But while his elevation to one of the most important political posts in India was initially widely welcomed as a much-needed shock to the system, the former tax inspector has since come in for criticism over a series of stand-offs with the authorities.

The self-styled "anarchist" staged a sit-in on the pavement close to the national parliament last month, triggering chaos in the city centre, as part of a push to be given greater powers of control over the police.

In Delhi, the BJP will be given the opportunity to form an alternative administration before any decision is made on holding fresh elections.

The party is the biggest faction in the assembly, having won 32 seats in December.

BANGKOK: Thai opposition protesters on Saturday refused to end their rallies in Bangkok despite a vow by police to clear more demonstration sites, following an operation to reclaim the besieged government headquarters.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government is attempting to seize back key state buildings after more than three months of mass protests seeking to curb the political domination of her billionaire family.

On Friday police with shields and riot helmets, some carrying rifles, met little resistance as they cleared areas around Government House, which Yingluck had been unable to use for about two months.

But there were no arrests or serious clashes, and demonstrators were later seen rebuilding their makeshift barricades.

The security operation is focused on government offices rather than major intersections in the commercial centre that have become the main focus of the rallies in recent weeks as part of what protesters have described as the "Bangkok shutdown".

So far the authorities have not announced any plan to clear those intersections, where several thousand protesters gather each evening to hear free concerts and speeches.

"We will continue fighting. We will not be shaken by the police operation," a spokesman for the anti-government movement, Akanat Promphan, said Saturday.

"No matter whether police succeed in reclaiming the rally sites or not, we will keep on protesting," he added.

On Saturday about 1,200 police were mobilised to try to reclaim a government complex in Chaeng Wattana in the north of the capital on Saturday, National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut told AFP.

But they later appeared to have retreated, after the two sides agreed to hold talks about re-opening the complex, which has been occupied by demonstrators led by a saffron-robed monk who has emerged as a key figure in the anti-government movement.

An aide to the monk-turned-protest leader Luang Pu Buddha Issara - who faces an arrest warrant for his role in the rallies - said the protesters "will not give up", but later confirmed that negotiations would take place on Sunday.

Attendance falling

The government has so far appeared reluctant to use force against the protesters, despite declaring a state of emergency last month that gives authorities the power to ban public gatherings of more than five people.

Attendance at the rallies has fallen sharply compared with December and January, when at the peak of the demonstrations tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of people took to the streets.

Thailand has been periodically rocked by mass demonstrations by rival protest groups since a controversial military coup in 2006 that ousted then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra - Yingluck's brother.

At least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured in violence linked to the latest round of protests.

The deployment of security forces has revived memories of a bloody crackdown on mass pro-Thaksin "Red Shirt" rallies in 2010 under the previous government, using armed troops backed by armoured vehicles.

Yingluck's opponents say her government is controlled by Thaksin, who fled overseas in 2008 to avoid jail for a corruption conviction and now lives in Dubai.

Pro-Thaksin parties have won every election for more than a decade, most recently in 2011 under Yingluck, helped by strong support in the northern half of the kingdom.

The tycoon-turned-politician is hated by many southerners, middle class Thais and members of the Bangkok elite who accuse him of rampant corruption.

Anti-government protesters disrupted a general election held earlier this month that was boycotted by the main opposition Democrat Party.

Demonstrators prevented 10,000 polling stations from opening in the election, affecting several million people.

The protesters want Yingluck to stand down to make way for an unelected "People's Council" to enact reforms to tackle corruption and alleged vote-buying before new polls are held.

The Election Commission has set a date of April 27 for election re-runs in constituencies where voting was obstructed by protesters. -AFP

NEW DELHI, Feb 15, 2014 (AFP) - Firebrand anti-corruption champion Arvind Kejriwal was clearing his desk Saturday after quitting as Delhi's chief minister in a move that leaves him clear to lead his party into battle in a looming general election.

Only 49 days after his upstart Aam Aadmi ("Common Man") Party took power in the capital, Kejriwal resigned on Friday night when the country's two main parties combined to thwart his efforts to bring in a new anti-corruption bill.

Kejriwal, whose stunning breakthrough in the Delhi state elections in December highlighted public anger towards the political establishment, launched a blistering assault on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in his resignation speech.

Newspapers said his decision to quit so soon after taking power appeared part of a wider strategy which would free Kejriwal to lead his party's campaign in a general election due by May.

The anti-corruption bill was the main plank of Kejriwal's manifesto in the Delhi state election, the first campaign that his party had ever fought.

Although Aam Aadmi only won 28 of the 70 assembly seats, it was able to take power after Congress agreed to give it backing from outside.

However Congress refused to support the Jan Lokpal bill, which included plans to set up an anti-corruption commission, in a vote Friday on procedural grounds.

In his speech to supporters on Friday, the 45-year-old accused Congress of reneging on an earlier promise to back the bill.

'Broken promises'

"Congress had promised us, in writing, that they would support the bill but when we tried to present it before the assembly today both they and the BJP came together to block it," Kejriwal said.

"This is the first time in India's history that both the BJP and Congress have come together... They have exposed themselves and shown their true face."

In his typically fiery address, the former tax inspector also accused the two parties of taking orders from Mukesh Ambani, India's wealthiest man who heads the giant Reliance Industries conglomerate.

The BJP is expected to win the national polls, but it will need support from smaller parties to clinch victory.

Although Kejriwal only formed his party a year ago, its remarkable showing in the Delhi election shocked the country's political establishment.

Congress, which has been badly damaged by a series of corruption scandals at national level, saw its number of seats slashed from 43 to just eight.

Aam Aadmi has said it plans to contest the national elections although analysts say it is unlikely to win much support outside major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai due to its lack of infrastructure and funding.

Newspapers said that Kejriwal's resignation represented something of a gamble for his party, with many of the voters who backed him in December unhappy at his decision to walk so soon.

"As AAP moves to launch an audacious Lok Sabha (parliamentary) campaign, the political greenhorn who humbled both Congress and BJP will also have to answer questions about its commitment to governance and if it has the vision to be a long-term player," said The Times of India.

The Hindustan Times said that Kerjiwal's resignation was part of a plan that would allow him to spearhead the general election campaign.

"The decision to quit is part of AAP's bigger strategy," the paper said.

"It hopes to paint the Congress and BJP as the villains of the piece who did not let his government fulfill its promises, and is banking on the people to bring it back to power on its own."

During his administration's brief time in office, Kejriwal unveiled a series of headline-grabbing initiatives, including a graft hotline aimed at stemming the rampant corruption of police and bureaucrats.

After shunning the usual official car and instead taking the subway to his swearing-in ceremony, Kejriwal then slashed electricity costs and announced free water supplies.

But while his elevation to one of the most important political posts in India was initially widely welcomed as a much-needed shock to the system, the former tax inspector has since come in for criticism over a series of stand-offs with the authorities.

The self-styled "anarchist" staged a sit-in on the pavement close to the national parliament last month, triggering chaos in the city centre, as part of a push to be given greater powers of control over the police.

In Delhi, the BJP will be given the opportunity to form an alternative administration before any decision is made on holding fresh elections.

The party is the biggest faction in the assembly, having won 32 seats in December.

BANGKOK: Thai opposition protesters on Saturday refused to end their rallies in Bangkok despite a vow by police to clear more demonstration sites, following an operation to reclaim the besieged government headquarters.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government is attempting to seize back key state buildings after more than three months of mass protests seeking to curb the political domination of her billionaire family.

On Friday police with shields and riot helmets, some carrying rifles, met little resistance as they cleared areas around Government House, which Yingluck had been unable to use for about two months.

But there were no arrests or serious clashes, and demonstrators were later seen rebuilding their makeshift barricades.

The security operation is focused on government offices rather than major intersections in the commercial centre that have become the main focus of the rallies in recent weeks as part of what protesters have described as the "Bangkok shutdown".

So far the authorities have not announced any plan to clear those intersections, where several thousand protesters gather each evening to hear free concerts and speeches.

"We will continue fighting. We will not be shaken by the police operation," a spokesman for the anti-government movement, Akanat Promphan, said Saturday.

"No matter whether police succeed in reclaiming the rally sites or not, we will keep on protesting," he added.

On Saturday about 1,200 police were mobilised to try to reclaim a government complex in Chaeng Wattana in the north of the capital on Saturday, National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut told AFP.

But they later appeared to have retreated, after the two sides agreed to hold talks about re-opening the complex, which has been occupied by demonstrators led by a saffron-robed monk who has emerged as a key figure in the anti-government movement.

An aide to the monk-turned-protest leader Luang Pu Buddha Issara - who faces an arrest warrant for his role in the rallies - said the protesters "will not give up", but later confirmed that negotiations would take place on Sunday.

Attendance falling

The government has so far appeared reluctant to use force against the protesters, despite declaring a state of emergency last month that gives authorities the power to ban public gatherings of more than five people.

Attendance at the rallies has fallen sharply compared with December and January, when at the peak of the demonstrations tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of people took to the streets.

Thailand has been periodically rocked by mass demonstrations by rival protest groups since a controversial military coup in 2006 that ousted then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra - Yingluck's brother.

At least 10 people have been killed and hundreds injured in violence linked to the latest round of protests.

The deployment of security forces has revived memories of a bloody crackdown on mass pro-Thaksin "Red Shirt" rallies in 2010 under the previous government, using armed troops backed by armoured vehicles.

Yingluck's opponents say her government is controlled by Thaksin, who fled overseas in 2008 to avoid jail for a corruption conviction and now lives in Dubai.

Pro-Thaksin parties have won every election for more than a decade, most recently in 2011 under Yingluck, helped by strong support in the northern half of the kingdom.

The tycoon-turned-politician is hated by many southerners, middle class Thais and members of the Bangkok elite who accuse him of rampant corruption.

Anti-government protesters disrupted a general election held earlier this month that was boycotted by the main opposition Democrat Party.

Demonstrators prevented 10,000 polling stations from opening in the election, affecting several million people.

The protesters want Yingluck to stand down to make way for an unelected "People's Council" to enact reforms to tackle corruption and alleged vote-buying before new polls are held.

The Election Commission has set a date of April 27 for election re-runs in constituencies where voting was obstructed by protesters. -AFP

BEIJING: Chinese bloggers urged US Secretary of State John Kerry to push for greater freedom online in China during a rare meeting in Beijing Saturday, asking for help to "tear down the great Internet firewall".

The roundtable discussion, organised by the US Embassy, was a unique opportunity for the top diplomat to hear directly from China's bloggers amid reports that Beijing is stepping up its efforts to clamp down on political dissent.

The meeting came a day after Kerry held talks with senior Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which he called on Communist Party authorities to improve their human rights record.

Zhang Jialong, a reporter at Tencent Finance who was one of four bloggers taking part in the discussion, urged the United States to support "Chinese who aspire for freedom" and help "tear down the great Internet firewall".

Zhang also accused US companies of helping China block access to social networking sites such as Twitter and the Internet in general.

Kerry said he had not heard of such moves, but promised he would check.

In the 40-minute meeting, Kerry also heard from Ma Xiaolin, a former journalist at Chinese state news agency Xinhua, who said that the Internet was his main form of communication.

He complained about the limits on Internet freedom in China, and urged Washington to use its sway to ease the squeeze.

Kerry told reporters Friday that in his discussions with the Chinese leadership he had a "frank discussion about some human rights challenges... and the free flow of information in a robust, civil society" which included some of "the challenges of the cyber world that we live in today".

"I emphasised that respect for human rights and for the exchange of information in a free manner contributes to the strength of a society in a country," he told reporters after his meetings in Beijing.

Chinese microblogs similar to Twitter have become key drivers of public opinion in recent years, with bloggers drawing attention to official corruption, pollution and other issues that challenge China's ruling Communist Party.

Less freedom online?

The rising influence of microblogs has been accompanied by the emergence of celebrity users with verified accounts, known as "Big Vs".

Wang Keqin, who was fired from his job at the Economic Observer last year after he reported on the cause of flash floods that hit Beijing in 2012, said at times he believed he had a price on his head for his work as an investigative reporter.

Internet freedom "was going backward, there is less of it", he told Kerry.

China's ruling party, which has provided more room for public debate in recent decades, has long been engaged in a "cat and mouse" game with Internet users, tightening restrictions in periodic crackdowns before new forums emerge to challenge such restraints.

And the rising popularity of microblogs such as Sina Weibo has triggered a government-backed campaign to assert greater control over social media.

Last year Chinese-American investor Charles Xue, who had more than 12 million followers on his microblog which was heavily critical of the government, was arrested on charges of soliciting prostitutes.

State media insisted at the time that his arrest had no connection with his online presence, but government-run broadcaster CCTV showed him in prison clothes while under detention, confessing that he had used microblogging to "gratify my vanity".

In August, Xi called on propaganda officials to "build a strong army... to seize the ground of new media", while China's press regulator has ordered journalists to undergo Marxist training classes, state media reported.

China's Supreme Court in September said Internet users could face three years in jail if "slanderous" information spread online was viewed more than 5,000 times or forwarded more than 500 times.

Kerry also visited a joint venture between Indiana-based Cummins and China's Foton company producing diesel engines which produce fewer emissions in Beijing, before then heading to Jakarta on the next leg of his Asia trip. -AFP

She is bringing her sold-out Red Tour to the South-East Asian region, the 24-year-old announced yesterday.

In a video posted on her official YouTube account, the performer says she will be visiting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

"We've been having the best time on the Red Tour in 2013. We're going to bring the Red Tour to Asia. We are going to Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore.

"Can't wait to see you. I hope you'll have a great time at the show. I'll see you there," says Swift.

The multiple-award-winning singer had just completed a successful run in North America and Europe before surprising her fans with the news. The superstar is slated to perform at Putra Indoor Stadium on June 11. It will be her first performance in the country.

Swift rose to fame as a country singer in 2006 before slowly transitioning to a pop star in later years and is best known for hits such as I Knew You Were Trouble, You Belong With Me, Love Story and Mean.

The South-East Asian portion of the Red Tour is presented by Cornetto and promoted by AEG Live. For more details, visit taylorswift.com/malaysia.

You are subscribed to email updates from MusicTo stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.